Callie

Earlier this week I declared that spring has sprung. Since then I've experienced snow and rain and ice pellets and sun. Is that what spring is in Ottawa? It may be spring, but I might just keep mittens in my purse for awhile longer yet.

Although you can't really see it, I made these mittens with a cable pattern to match this hat. Yes, I know the colours are totally different. But I thought it would be neat to carry the same theme throughout so that they'd match, but not match.

I think the cable didn't work mainly because this is made out of wool. The stitches aren't as distinct, so it just swallows up the detailing.

I didn't really use a pattern for these, but just drew on my knowledge of the general way to make mittens. Cuff, gusset, thumb, done.

But in the end, these mittens are a fail - at least for what I wanted them to be. They should have been boy size. Nah. Definitely turned out to be girl size. Snug on my hands. Oh well. They might not be what I wanted originally wanted to make, but that just means they'll keep a different pair of hands toasty.

Giant!

Before I made my white mittens, it had been awhile since I'd made a pair. It's been even longer since I'd made boy-sized mittens. How big are boy hands? Although I by no means have dainty hands, I would guess on average they are bigger than mine. Um... right?

But when I finished this set and asked my brother to try them on and tell me if I got the size right, he said, and I quote: "Who did you make these for?? The Jolly Green Giant?"

So does anyone know the Jolly Green Giant's address? Cause I've got some mittens for him.

Not really. Besides, he probably wouldn't need them in his warm valley.

But that left me stuck with the problem of how to make them the right size. For awhile I debated whether or not to felt them. They are made from wool for added warmth so they would have felted up quite nicely. And that would (with any luck) make them the right size. But... I'm just not that in love with felt. I think knitted mittens are nicer.

So I decided, to leave them as is. Instead to solve the problem I sewed fleece liners. I know! I, me, Jeanne, sewed! If you don't remember, I'm not so great a seamstress. With the liners I think they no longer feel too big.

(Um... they got gifted and I didn't get a good picture of the liners. Oops! Maybe I'll have to make another pair to show you. Haha. riiiight.)

Almost two right hands

It's winter. Definitely, definitely winter. There's snow. There's ice. The temperature is in the negative degrees. & I love it.

After 6 years in California where winter is little more than a rainy season, I'm really enjoying having a real winter. It's such a novelty! I don't even mind brushing snow off my car in the morning. I know! Crazy, eh? Sure, that'll probably change by next year, and I'll be like everyone else and longing for summer, but right now, I like all of it! Especially that I have a reason to wear hats and scarves and mittens.

When it comes to knitting, mittens were one of my first loves. In high school they were pretty much all I made. I made mittens for my best friend. I made mittens for the boy I had a crush on in Gr11. I made mittens to be sold at the church bazaars. I made mittens for the kids I babysat.

And maybe I burned out on mittens, cause I don't make mittens too often anymore. I've made a few arm warmers, but those are different.

But with all that yarn from the ugly sweater I made the mittens above to match my hat. Amusingly I almost made two right hands. The pattern I used to use was good for either hand so I didn't think about it until I was just about to start the thumb. Good thing I realized it!

These mittens rock. I wore these mittens skating on the canal and they totally kept my hands warm! Wool is the key I think. It just keeps the heat in so well. It helps too that the cuffs are long enough to go inside my jacket. Both good things to remember for when I make my next pair or warm mitts.